Manaia Pounamu Sculpture | by Alex Sands

This beautifully hand carved Manaia Pounamu sculpture by Alex Sands can also be worn as a pendant. It has a pāua shell eye and hangs on a hand braided waxed cotton slip-knot cord. The Manaia sits in a brass frame on a wooden stand.  

The Manaia is commonly accepted as a spiritual guardian and a symbol of protection. It is depicted as a form with the head of a bird, the torso of a man and the tail of a fish. 

Alex Sands- Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa English, Scottish and Irish
Raised in New Zealand and for a time in China. It was while in China his love for creating began in soft stone carving. He carved small intricate things with basic tools, files and small chisels. At the age of 12 he was inspired by the jade creations of the world and the pounamu creations of his Māori ancestors.
He was then given the opportunity to learn from one of the master jade carvers at the age of 13, and has since then gained his diploma in Māori wood carving. Alex enjoys using one material to complement another, whether merging stone with bone or simply the colour of the cord used with a pendant. Natural New Zealand materials allow a diverse range of colour, character and use – jewellery, weapons, tools or musical instruments, all changing their intensity with age.

Size: Manaia, 16 x 8 x 1.3 cm; Stand, 20 x 19 x 9 cm
Weight: 555g

Made in New Zealand